Hi everybody!
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything and it has been a wild and crazy past few months for me. Between the shocking results of November’s election through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now the New Year my life has been in a whirlwind as I’ve been dealing with the new injury to my surgically repaired shoulder and arm in early November when I fell going up the stairs and to my old apartment, having on average, at least 10 doctors or therapy appointments per week, and finding a new home, dealing with bureaucracy involved with the move, the move itself, and now trying to settle into my new place I feel like a one armed man and a fiddling contest. Actually, I have been feeling like a one armed man in all aspects of my life since developing the palsy in my left hand caused by the surgical procedures for the joint replacement of my left shoulder back at the end of June.
The good news is that I have made it through, but I now feel very battle weary and I’m looking forward to some calm and quiet time over the next couple months. My body sure needs time for rest and recovery and has been yelling at me to listen to it and honor its needs. During the process of my move my right knee, the one major joint that has not been surgically repaired or replaced has started yelling at me and demanding that I pay attention to it. During these upcoming months I hope to have some time available to continue taking some new pictures but also having time to work on editing and sharing the many, many photos that I’ve been taking over this past year or so.
I do feel very fortunate to have found the place that I have to live in. It is called Vintage at Lakewood and is a community for people 55 years of age and older. Even though I passed that criteria many years ago I do feel like one of the youngsters here in the complex. If you would like some information about this wonderful community please check out their website: VintageAtLakewood.com. Hopefully I will be able to take advantage of some of the many amenities here in the building. What I really do like about this place are the views that we have here:
The first two pictures of sunset on the North Cascades of Washington were taken from the balcony on the third floor of my building, the floor I live on, near the exercise room and craft rooms just a couple of days ago. In these images we are looking directly east with the three peaks being White Horse Mtn on the left, Jumbo Mtn. to its right, and Three Finger Mtn to the far right. All three mountains are about 5300 feet tall and covered with lots of snow right now.
In the one picture of the three peaks you can see the shopping center just a block east of my building. White Horse Mtn is about 30 miles due east of my home and just south of Darrington, Washington where I go every week to see my chiropractic buddy, Dr. Nels.
The photo of the rainbow rising above the barn was taken about 10 days ago at street level just about directly in front of my apartment and looking straight north. Unfortunately it won’t be too long before that bare field on the left side of the photo between me and the barn will be turned into another 200 unit apartment building. Oh well! I will certainly appreciate the view between now and when construction gets underway this spring. They’ve already torn down the former residence and the big trees surrounding it just to the left of this photo. But then, the building I live in is just over one year old now and until then this too had been farmland.
I consider where I am to be the southern rim of where I was willing to look for a new place to call home and the northern edge of the Marysville/Everett/Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia, Washington megalopolis. I am on 172nd Street NE which is a main east west road with Interstate 5 just east of the shopping center seen in the one picture. Traffic and the pace of life here is much more reflective of the megalopolis to my south then life in peaceful and tranquil Bellingham was. I think that as long as I have these views to look at and my journeys north and east I’ll do fine.
Most of people I’ve met here have been very helpful and kind and friendly, and widowed. So overall life is good and I’m needing some time to listen to my body to rest and relax and settle into my new home and my new lifestyle.
I hope to be able to keep in touch with everyone more often now that this craziness that has been my life is past prime and settling down. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward and to a much better 2017!
Namaste!
Pete
peteartheart 